Electronic components require protective packaging to minimize the risk of damage during shipping and storage, prior to delivery to a customer. Needs exist to provide economical, simple and environmentally friendly packaging, without degrading the quality of protection to the enclosed components.
Typical efforts have involved boxes with cushioning elements added to shield the contents from turbulence, impact and crushing damage. The cushioning elements have included “peanuts” of compressible plastic materials, shredded or crumpled newspapers, air-filled plastic backs and the like. These items can be effective but create handling problems both at the beginning and the end of the shipping chain. Storing and disposing of these items can be cumbersome and potentially environmentally unfriendly. In addition, in order to provide sufficient protection, the packaging is often unduly bulky and unwieldy.
Some types of components, such as digital video recorders (DVRs) and cable control boxes, require testing and custom programming between the manufacturing site and the end user. For example, a local cable provider may need to configure the programming of a DVR or cable box to fit local parameters prior to installing at a home. It can be problematical to remove the component from the shipping packaging, operate it and then either return it to packaging or leave it unprotected for the final shipment stages to the end user. Bulky and cumbersome conventional packaging solutions lead to lost time and wasted efforts, not to mention damaged components during unnecessary handling steps.
While some prior art systems have addressed some of the above noted concerns, none have suitably addressed them all, and today there remains a need for protective packaging systems for electronic components. Accordingly, a need remains for new approaches to protectively package components such as DVRs and the like which may require intermediate processing between the manufacturer and the end user, typically a home installation.